M1a 18" Bush or 22"? Pros/Cons?
- Thread starter Kestrel
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Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
"Handy" would depend on what you're planning on using the rifle for, wouldn't it?
I admit to being a long-barrel freak. I want all the velocity I can get.
In the AR, most likely the only practical difference might be the noise level. Well, maybe the balance, noticeable mostly when shooting aimed shots from the offhand position. There, a bit of extra weight out toward the muzzle can be helpful...
Art
I admit to being a long-barrel freak. I want all the velocity I can get.
In the AR, most likely the only practical difference might be the noise level. Well, maybe the balance, noticeable mostly when shooting aimed shots from the offhand position. There, a bit of extra weight out toward the muzzle can be helpful...
Art
Coltdriver
Member
For carrying the rifle long distances in the woods the balance of the shorty is hard to beat.
I carried mine many miles before I screwed it up and put a compensator on it. It changed the balance noticably for carrying it.
If you primarily shoot at the range, you may never notice the weight of the longer barrel.
I carried mine many miles before I screwed it up and put a compensator on it. It changed the balance noticably for carrying it.
If you primarily shoot at the range, you may never notice the weight of the longer barrel.
Sunray
Member
You lose 100 FPS per inch of barrel loss and gain a whole bunch of bang. I've never understood the fascination for short barreled .308's. The M-14 was designed to shoot the .308/7.62 optimally. All these "scout" rifles are nothing more than marketing successes.
geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
I had to search all over the net...
And naturally I've lost the link.
What the article said was that they started with a 24 inch barrel, and a smith removed 1 inch of the barrel at a time, taking numerous chrono readings as they went.
The results where that there was NO loss off muzzle velocity with a 20 inch barrel, and that you lost 32 fps with an 18 inch barrel, which is negligible.
And naturally I've lost the link.
What the article said was that they started with a 24 inch barrel, and a smith removed 1 inch of the barrel at a time, taking numerous chrono readings as they went.
The results where that there was NO loss off muzzle velocity with a 20 inch barrel, and that you lost 32 fps with an 18 inch barrel, which is negligible.
Kor
Member
Geek, I think I remember that article - it was originally written by some outfit in California that builds high-end precision LE rifles, and I think I first read it in SWAT magazine.
However, it's not quite a true apples-to-apples comparison - the testing was done with bolt-action rifles, not a semi-auto like the M14/M1A. With the gas guns, you've gotta set up the rest of the gun correctly, particularly the gas port in the barrel, or else it won't cycle reliably. Also, with a shorter barrel AND larger gas port, you will probably notice a more dramatic velocity loss than 32fps.
Steve, another factor to consider is that with the shorter sight radius, you lose a bit of the rifle's practical accuracy at longer ranges - it's somewhat harder to align the sights precisely with a target way out around 500+yards. The front sight blade should also be made thinner, or else it will be too coarse for precise aiming even at 200-300yds. Furthermore, with the velocity loss, the bullet's trajectory will probably change enough that the range graduations on the elevation drum won't be spot-on at longer ranges.
That said, the 18" barrel DEFINITELY balances better and handles more quickly for me in fast-moving situations like 3-gun competition, and will be handier in tight quarters and lighter to tote around on foot. While my 21" ARS-built Imbel FAL is a shooting machine, my 18" DSA FAL shoots just as well at short ranges and feels MUCH livelier.
I think Chuck Karwan gave the M1A Scout/Bush rifles high marks in a Soldier of Fortune magazine article a few years back...
However, it's not quite a true apples-to-apples comparison - the testing was done with bolt-action rifles, not a semi-auto like the M14/M1A. With the gas guns, you've gotta set up the rest of the gun correctly, particularly the gas port in the barrel, or else it won't cycle reliably. Also, with a shorter barrel AND larger gas port, you will probably notice a more dramatic velocity loss than 32fps.
Steve, another factor to consider is that with the shorter sight radius, you lose a bit of the rifle's practical accuracy at longer ranges - it's somewhat harder to align the sights precisely with a target way out around 500+yards. The front sight blade should also be made thinner, or else it will be too coarse for precise aiming even at 200-300yds. Furthermore, with the velocity loss, the bullet's trajectory will probably change enough that the range graduations on the elevation drum won't be spot-on at longer ranges.
That said, the 18" barrel DEFINITELY balances better and handles more quickly for me in fast-moving situations like 3-gun competition, and will be handier in tight quarters and lighter to tote around on foot. While my 21" ARS-built Imbel FAL is a shooting machine, my 18" DSA FAL shoots just as well at short ranges and feels MUCH livelier.
I think Chuck Karwan gave the M1A Scout/Bush rifles high marks in a Soldier of Fortune magazine article a few years back...
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